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In sync

Fortunately, there are other online storage services that do provide a wider range of features, such as the ability to sync files across multiple devices, and also to share your files with friends or colleagues too.

One of our favourites here at Reg Hardware is Dropbox, thanks to the splendid simplicity of its underlying concept. The free-to-download Dropbox software creates a special folder on any computer or mobile device that you want to use – including iOS devices, BlackBerries and Android smartphones, as well as Macs, PCs, and Linux machines – and any file that you keep in that ‘dropbox’ folder is automatically copied to the cloud and to all your devices. This means that you can work on a file using your Mac at home and it will automatically be waiting on your PC at work the next day.

Review: Dropbox

Dropbox doesn’t give you a huge amount of free online storage – you get a relatively modest 2GB for free, and its monthly ‘Pro’ plans are more expensive than rivals such as Carbonite and Mozy. However, its flexible synchronisation features are dead handy if you need to keep a set of files up to date on more than one machine. Synced files, and those still being transferred are clearly marked.

The Dropbox software is extremely easy to use and runs on an impressive range of devices, including PCs, Macs and Linux machines, as well as iOS, Android and Blackberry mobile devices.

Files placed in one machine's Dropbox folder automatically sync to the cloud and to all the other devices linked to your account, making use of local network links if they're available. There’s even a ‘selective sync’ option that allows you to select specific files for syncing. You can also access your files using a web browser if you need to, making Dropbox a really useful tool for people who regularly work on different computers in different locations.